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' EDW'I ALLEN, 0F NORWICH, CONNECTlCUT.

Letters Patat No. 92,558, daad July 13, 1869, 'antenatal .my 3, 1869.l

IMPROVEMENT IN ENvELoPn-GUMiv1ERs The Schedule referred to in lthese Letters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To 'all whom it ana/y concern l p Be it known that I, EDWINIALLEN, of Norwich, in the county of New Loudon, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Euvelope-Gutnmers, of which the following isafull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in wl1ich A Figure 1 represents'atp view or plan of an envelope-gommer,constructed in accordance with iny im- Ato the surface to be gummcd.

My improvement consists in providing the gum-box spout, which conveysthe 'gum to the, envelope, with .an outside nubber cloth, or other llike soft and elastic packing, arranged to surround said spout at its lower `end, and to projectl below or beyond it, so as to rest on the envelopein a soft laudeas'y manner, conforming itself to inequalities in the surface of the pile, and whereby the gum may. be'allowed to pass uninterruptcdly from the box or'lopper withoutsmearing more of the envelope than is required, and so that on drawing the envelope from under the gummer, the elastic lip formed by the outside packing, acts as a brush, to remove surplus gum from the envelope.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- A 'epresents a gum-box or hopper, iu.whieh thegum or a hesive fluid to be used is placed.

Said box is free to slide downv guide-rods a a, so as to bear or rest, through its spout B, or rather, packing O, surrounding the latter, onthe pile of envelopes D, whiclrrest on a bedl or table, S, and to follow the same as they are drawn, one by' one, from under it.

The spout B, which may be made of thin sheetmetal, is of any'suitable shape and size, corresponding 'to the envelope-surface requiring to be gummed, and. is'in open communication with an apertnreor orifice,

E, of similar configuration.

The softaud elastic, or lexible'packing G, which is arranged ou the outside of the spout B, projecting below it, and encompassing its sides and ends, and which may be held to its place by clamps F F, I prefer to make of rubber cloth, or other like material, doubled or. folded, so as to present a close, rounded lower edge, made up of two thicknesses of the material.

To this end, said outside packing may be made of tubing, of suitable liexible material, which admits of the reversal of the packing when the lower edge becomes worn. l,

By employing a folded packing, arranged to present a close, rounded edge, I ndthat it not only formsa soft and elastic lip that'conforms itself to anyinequalities or irregularities in or on the pile of envelopes D, situated below it, and retains the gum issuing through the orifice E, but that, in drawing the 'ienvelopes one by one from under it, to effect the gumming of them in succession, it acts as a more efect'ual wiper or-1eveller of the gum ou the envelopes, sweeping the surplus gum from off the one envelope as it is withdrawn on to the next envelope below it, and readily springing back when bent by the draught of the envelopes in sncf cession from vunder it,' or,otherwise retaining its erect position, to insure a proper restriction of the gum Aon each envelope.

A packing composedofa single thickness of material might be used instead, but the same is not only more liable to spring or be bent from its erect position, but, iu being bent vby the draught of the envelopes from lunder it, presentsgan irregular and sharp orangular sweeping-edge, which effects a less perfect levelling-action on thegum, does not secure the same protection against leakage past the edges' of the packing, and less .readily springs back to its position, or more readily takes set, :is-induced by ,the .draught of the envelopes from under it, thandoes the packing vmade of a double thickness of material, and presenting a rounded lower edge, which, while moderately attening, by the weight of the Agum-box audits contents, retains the saure levelling-action or eeet ou the gum'med surface' of the lenvelope,f.free from all sharp, angular presentation throughout the entire d raught of each envelope in succession from under it.

The envelopes VD may be piled and withdrawn, oneby one,froni under thegummer, either 4by band or by any suitable mechanism forthe purpose.

When not using the gummer, it may be left in wa ter, to prevent clogging or hardening of any remaining gum on it or its packing.

What isliere claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of a soft and elastic orfexible' packing around the outside of the '.spout to the gumbox or hopper, and so as to project below it, subst-aw tially as specified, and for the purpose hereiuset forth. EDW'IN. ALLEN.

Witnesses SOLOMON LUCAS, S. S. THRESHER. 

